Nowon-gu Implements 'Separate Collection Days for Waste Vinyl and PET Bottles'

Detached houses and commercial buildings, waste vinyl and transparent PET bottles to be disposed of only on Thursdays... Separate collection bins for transparent PET bottles in apartment complexes... 19 teams of 57 sanitation workers deployed, 19 units of 2.5-ton dump trucks mobilized

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is implementing a 'Separated Disposal Day System for Waste Vinyl and PET Bottles' to reduce household waste and increase recycling rates.

The separated disposal day system designates specific days for disposing of waste vinyl and clear PET bottles separately.

Detached houses and commercial establishments must dispose of clear waste PET bottles and waste vinyl only on Thursdays, while colored waste PET bottles and other recyclables should be disposed of on weekdays except Thursday.

For apartment complexes, clear waste PET bottles such as beverage and water bottles should be separated from colored waste PET bottles and disposed of in separate designated collection bins.

Residents in general residential areas using recycling stations should dispose of waste vinyl and clear PET bottles in front of their homes on Thursdays if the station’s operating day does not coincide with the separated disposal day.

If waste vinyl is contaminated with foreign substances, it should be washed three times before disposal; if heavily soiled, it should be placed in a designated volume-based waste bag and put out on the specified day. Clear PET bottles must have their labels removed.

According to the separated disposal day system, the district will deploy 57 sanitation workers in 19 teams and operate 19 2.5-ton dump trucks for recycling collection and transportation. Collection trucks will operate as non-compacting vehicles to improve PET bottle sorting rates.

Full implementation for separated disposal of waste vinyl from detached houses and commercial establishments and clear waste PET bottles from apartment complexes will begin in July this year, while separated disposal of clear waste PET bottles from detached houses and commercial establishments will start in January next year.

To reduce resident confusion and ensure early settlement of the separated disposal day system, the district plans to conduct intensive publicity through meetings with professional organizations, text message distribution, banners, and posters until the pilot period ends in June this year.

Additionally, regular monitoring and inspections will be conducted at disposal sites to address any issues.

The separated disposal day system is implemented to improve difficulties in sorting and low recycling rates caused by mixed disposal of colored and clear waste PET bottles, waste vinyl, and other recyclables regardless of color.

Previously, detached houses and commercial establishments disposed of all recyclables at once, which caused contamination of other recyclables and lowered recycling rates of different materials.

Since April last year, the district has expanded household waste collection days from three to six times a week, increased unauthorized dumping inspectors from 2 to 15, and strengthened activities of mobile squads and self-support work groups, improving the cleaning administration system. As a result, fines for unauthorized dumping imposed last year totaled 171.8 million KRW, about three times higher than the 61.2 million KRW in 2018.

Moreover, the district has installed street trash bins at 20 locations around bus stops on Dongil-ro to prevent illegal dumping in roadside green belts and conducts monthly water cleaning in station areas and major roads to reduce fine dust.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We are implementing the separated disposal day system for clear waste PET bottles and others to protect the environment and increase recycling rates. Since this is a necessary measure, we hope all residents actively participate.”

Resource Circulation Division 2116-3810

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.